President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of June 3 with a delegation led by Saint Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony. In addition to praising the prosperity and wellbeing that Saint Lucia has achieved under the outstanding leadership of Prime Minister Anthony, the president also hopes to deepen bilateral interaction in the future to further cement the long-lasting alliance.
In remarks, the president stated that Prime Minister Anthony is a distinguished politician who has served twice as his nation's prime minister. The president admires the prime minister's diligence and concern for the people of Saint Lucia, and how he endeavors to show the world his nation's efforts to protect its natural scenery, improved wellbeing, and thriving business activities.
The president recalled that he led a delegation to Saint Lucia in August 2013, during which he received a warm reception from Governor-General Dame Pearlette Louisy and Prime Minister Anthony. At that time, he exchanged opinions with Prime Minister Anthony on a broad range of issues of mutual interest, including the world situation and climate change. They also signed a joint communique, and the president said that their enjoyable discussions made a lasting impression on him.
As for bilateral relations and the status of cooperation projects, the president said that the ROC and Saint Lucia restored diplomatic relations in 2007, and over the past eight years the alliance has developed steadily. Bilateral cooperation projects in infrastructure, agriculture, and medicine have yielded considerable results with some completed projects, including construction in local constituencies, providing light for recreational facilities, fishing infrastructure, and the purchase of criminal identification equipment, the president said.
The president furthermore noted that ongoing cooperation projects include the Multi-Channel Data Centre, the Sustainable Energy Program, a cement block-making facility at the Bordelais Correctional Facility, the Banana Black Sigatoka Disease Prevention and Treatment Project, and the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project. These projects are having a major impact on the development of Saint Lucia and the wellbeing of its people, said the president.
Turning to educational exchanges, the president pointed out that 80 students from Saint Lucia are currently studying in Taiwan on full scholarships and that their academic performance is outstanding. At the same time, 30 students have already completed their studies and returned home to contribute what they learned here. A Taiwan Alumni Association has been established in Saint Lucia to assist in promoting bilateral relations, he said. In addition, the Saint Lucian government values its students in the ROC and is concerned for their wellbeing, so each time an official from that nation visits Taiwan, he or she will find time to meet with the students to understand how they are getting on here.
The president said that the ROC government has long sought to participate in the United Nations (UN) system and related international organizations, and that the ruling and opposition parties in Saint Lucia have for many years supported this. Prime Minister Anthony in 2013 and September 2014 sent Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation Alva Baptiste to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly to speak on behalf of the ROC and urge support for the ROC's full participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization. In addition, Minister Baptiste has also written to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat to support Taiwan's participation in the convention. The government and people of the ROC will always remember these gestures, the president said.
The president also mentioned that during this visit to the ROC, Prime Minister Anthony will preside over a ceremony unveiling Saint Lucia's embassy here, which will be that nation's first embassy in Asia. The president said that this is a significant step, and hopes that the two countries will further solidify their traditional friendship and alliance and promote interaction among the two peoples. He would also like to see enhanced bilateral economic, trade, and cultural relations, and joint efforts to promote peace and development throughout the world.
Also in the delegation were Permanent Secretary for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation Hubert Emmanuel and Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia to the UN Menissa Rambally.